Colorado has an overall cool and fairly dry climate. It has an average annual temperature of around 44 F but is prone to having major seasonal and daily differences in temperature and is susceptible to extreme weather events such as blizzards, flooding, droughts, and fires. Throughout the year the temperature in Colorado drops down into the high teens during the winter and may reach up into the low 90s during the summer. Professionals with a Colorado HVAC license are in constant demand due to the unpredictability of weather conditions at certain times of the year.
Colorado HVAC License Requirements
There are several options for licensing available to HVAC technicians and contractors in Colorado. HVAC technicians are able to obtain licensing at the following levels: Residential Wireman, Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician, Residential Plumber, Journeyman Plumber, and Master Plumber.
HVAC professionals looking to obtain licensure at the Residential Wireman level must have a minimum of 2 years of work experience within electrical construction wiring and must also possess a currently active apprentice license. The Journeyman Electrician license requires HVAC professionals to have at least 4 years of work experience with at least 2 of the 4 years within the commercial realm along with an active apprentice license. The Master Electrician license requires HVAC professionals to have a minimum of 1 year working with the supervision of electrical installation in addition to the work requirement for the Journeyman Electrician license along with an active apprentice license. All electrician licensing options require HVAC professionals to pass a respective, comprehensive exam. HVAC professionals looking to obtain licensure as a Residential, Journeyman or Master Plumber must have 2, 4, and 5 years of related work experience respectively and they must take the trade exam for their field.
HVAC contractors also have several options for licensing in Colorado including licenses for Plumbing Contractor, Water Conditioning Contractor, and Electrical Contractor. HVAC professionals that wish to work at the Plumbing Contractor level must have status as Master Plumber or employ someone who works as one. In addition, they must possess workers compensation and unemployment insurance as well as be given authority by Secretary of State’s office to perform work. HVAC professionals working at the Water Conditioning Contractor level must either having Water Conditioning Principal status or employ someone with that status. They must also possess workers compensation and unemployment insurance and be granted authority to perform work through the Secretary of State’s office. HVAC professionals that plan to work at the Electrical Contractor level or will hire someone with the status must obtain workers compensation and unemployment insurance as well as receive permission from the Secretary of State’s office to perform work.
Colorado HVAC Education
Colorado has several options for HVAC education and schooling including Emily Griffith Technical College, Front Range Community College, Lincoln College of Technology, Pickens Technical College, Pikes Peak Community College, and Redstone College. Front Range Community College has PAHRA accreditation and Pikes Peak Community College has HVAC Excellence accreditation.
Colorado HVAC Exam Overview
There are several different exams available to HVAC professionals depending on their level of experience and field of work. The Residential Wireman exam is 3 hours long and has 90 multiple choice questions. A score of 70% is needed to pass and the exam fee is $75. The Journeyman and Master Electrician exams are 240 minutes long and have 90 questions. A score of 70% is required to pass both exams and each exam costs $75. Residential, Journeyman and Master Plumber level HVAC professionals must also take a multiple choice exam in order to obtain licensure. A score of 70% is required to pass for Residential and Journeyman contactors and Master Plumber contractors are required score at least 75%.
Colorado EPA Section 608 Certification
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all HVAC technicians that work with refrigerants to be certified. In order to obtain EPA certification, HVAC technicians in Colorado must take an exam which has 80 multiple choice questions that must be completed within 3 hours. A score of 70% is required to pass the exam and the exam fee is $120.
The three different EPA certification types that HVAC technicians can acquire are Type I, II and III. Type I limits HVAC technicians to working on appliances which contain no more than five pounds of refrigerant. Type II permits HVAC technicians to perform work on high pressure appliances. Type III limits HVAC technicians to working on low-pressure appliances. This certification is transferable among all states and does not expire.
Colorado HVAC Salary
HVAC technicians in Colorado earn on average over $54,000 per year with the top 20% of HVAC professionals earning more than $77,000 annually. Cities in Colorado that pay HVAC professionals the highest rates include Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Englewood. HVAC technicians in Colorado are not required to obtain HVAC licensure but they are required to obtaining both an electrician and plumbing licenses through the Colorado State Electrical Board and Colorado State Plumbing Board.